An Evening of Relaxation
by WildClover27
Summary: A short glimpse of the guys introducing Terry to the Doves


Two days passed rather uneventfully since the return from the first mission with Terry. On the second afternoon, Christine took Craig into London to get checked out by the doctor and check in with G-2. It looked like it was going to be a long day with them not planning on being back until around midnight.

Terry was working on the back garden, trying to get it in some semblance of shape before winter set in. Chief came out and helped her haul weeds and leaves to the woods to dump. She was even more surprised when Actor came out and started trimming some of the dead wood off the rosebushes. The man apparently had some diverse talents.

By late afternoon, Terry had gone in, showered, and started dinner for the cons. There had been no trouble. Even Casino and Goniff were rather mellow for them. Then she found out why. Just after evening had set in, the men all went upstairs. Terry's curiosity was piqued, but she wasn't about to chase them down to see what they were up to. She finished washing the dishes and decided to get her book from the bedroom and come down to the common room to read. As she headed for her bedroom, she heard voices in the upstairs common room. Now she had to know. She poked her head in the door and stared.

The four men were there, cleaned up and dressed rather nicely. They stared at her and she stared at them. Goniff moved first and bounced up to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room.

"Hey, Terry, we're goin' to the Doves for a bit. You want to come with us?" he asked brightly.

Terry looked at the faces watching her reaction. Surprisingly, nobody seemed adverse to the offer. Still Terry was a little uncertain. Craig said he let them get away with sneaking to the bar.

"Chasing women just doesn't hold the same interest for me that it does for you," she quipped.

"We are just going for a couple drinks and maybe a game of cards or darts," said Actor.

"Yeah, Babe," said Casino. "I'll even buy you a beer."

Terry wondered at their motives, but decided it would be interesting at the very least. "Okay." She looked at herself in trousers, blouse and boots. "I guess I need to change."

"Naw," said Casino. "You're fine the way you are. It's just the Doves."

When she headed for the door, they all stood and looked at her. She paused and looked back at them. Actor shook his head.

"Window, Babe," said Casino. Chief was holding the sawed bars back.

"Window," repeated Terry. "Why?"

"More fun this way," said Goniff.

Terry poked her head out the window and assessed the exit plan. She grinned. As she hooked a leg over the bottom of the window opening, Actor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Someone needs to go first, in case she falls."

Terry turned her head to the Italian and gave a snort of laughter. She proceeded to launch herself away from the building, catch a tree branch and scramble down before he had time to say anything more. Terry stood on the ground gazing up at the Italian with an impish grin. "Bet you can't do that, Actor," she said.

"Blimey," cracked Goniff. "Be a cinch to teach her second story work."

She stood below as the men eased out one at a time, and climbed down a trellis. Goniff took her hand and led her across the dark yard. They came to a broken section of the stone fence surrounding the estate. Terry was gallantly assisted over the fence. She wondered if her brother knew about that exit. Goniff kept her hand as they trouped down the road to the pub.

The Doves was a local pub at a crossroads. They stepped inside the blackout drapes to a landing at the top of stairs leading down to the main room. There were maybe ten people in the room at tables and the bar. They all seemed to be locals. A couple called out to Goniff and Casino. The two men pulled Terry up to the bar, while Chief and Actor secured a table. Behind the bar, a thin man with a mustache came over.

"Wot's this now?" he asked in broad cockney with a smile. "You blokes bringin' your own birds now?"

"Naw," said Casino. "Robby, meet Terry Garrison. She's the Lieutenant's sister."

"Hey, a lady Yank!" He held his hand out to her over the bar. She shook hands with him. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," she grinned back at him.

"Wot's your pleasure, Lass?" he asked.

"I guess whatever they're drinking," replied Terry.

"One pitcher coming right up."

The two men lead the way to the table. Actor rose and held a chair out for her. She sat and looked around the room. It was a nice warm, cheery place. The pitcher and glasses arrived and someone handed her a beer. She took a sip and her face froze as she tried to swallow. It wasn't what she was expecting.

The men were watching her in amusement.

"It's ale," explained Actor.

"It's definitely not Budweiser," acknowledged Terry. "It's warm."

"That's the way they drink it here," said Casino.

"I take it it's an acquired taste," said Terry. She took another sip.

"When that's all you can get, you get used to it real quick," said Casino.

The men were quieter than Terry had been led to believe. She had expected immediate fights and rowdiness. Chief and Casino started playing a game of darts. Actor was the keeper of the bets. Terry watched in interest. As good as Chief was, she wondered why Casino even bothered. Chief naturally won and the men came back to the table.

"Want to try?" asked Chief quietly.

"Why, you need more money?" joked Terry. She was in the act of pulling money out of her pocket.

Casino watched her with interest as she pushed a ten over to Actor. Chief held his hand out and led her to the table with the darts.

"You first," said Chief.

Terry picked up the darts and stepped up to the line. She studied the board for a moment and threw the first dart. It was a bull's-eye. Chief did not change expression. Casino sat up and stared. Actor chuckled to himself. The second dart landed just outside the circle. The third was outside the other side of the circle. She walked up to the board, marked the score, and pulled the darts out. Chief eyed her as they stepped around each other. His first two darts were bull's-eyes and the third, like hers, was just outside the circle. In the end, he still won, but it was a closer game than the one with Casino.

A deck of cards was brought out and a poker game was started. Actor opted to sit back and watch, switching from beer to cognac. Terry had twenty five dollars left and brought it out. Halfway through the game, Casino bought her another beer. It was a good thing he did, because in the end, he had all her money.

Around ten o'clock, Actor suggested it was time to head back to the mansion before the Warden got back. They headed back up the road in the dark. Casino and Goniff were drunk, loud and happily arguing. Terry hung back with Chief and Actor until they got to the mansion and then Casino pulled her up with him and the Englishman.

"So did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yeah," replied Terry. "Until I started playing cards with you."

"I don't know what you're complaining about," said Casino. "I bought your drinks."

"Oh yeah," shot back Terry. "What two fifty cent beers and then you take me for twenty-five bucks."

"Hey it was just a friendly game of poker."

"Friendly game?" she spouted. "You were cheating you rat!" She slugged him on the arm as they entered the house.

Actor was the first to notice their commander. "Good evening, Lieutenant."

"Hi Craig," grinned Terry.

Garrison looked at the five of them in annoyance. They all looked back with varying degrees of insincere innocence. Craig focused on his sister.

"Them I expect this out of," he said. "You should know better."

"Hey," said Terry. "It was a nice quiet evening. There were no fights and nothing got broken."

Craig shook his head in mild annoyance. He had expected the men to sneak out to the pub, but he had not expected them to take his sister, or for her to go along. He watched their backs as they all trooped up the stairs. They did not see the small smile come to his face. Great, now he had five delinquents.


End file.
